don't get me wrong I absolutely love the new freeform gradient tool in Adobe
Illustrator it could be used to make some really interesting and some cool
artwork but there are some problems I feel need to be tweaked by a Devi and
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first major issue that I have with a new freeform gradient tool is related to
text now if we have some tanks in Illustrator now you want to add a
standard gradient it's not going to be applied so you can either outline the
text or even better yet you can convert the text to a compound shape in the
Pathfinder window this means that you can apply a gradient and still change
the lettering later so for example I could change the letter B to a letter A
and the gradient will still be applied to the letter but even when the text is
a compound shape applying the freeform gradient simply doesn't work and as you
can see there's a denied symbol that appears here so we must outline the text
which is a destructive workflow maneuver and if there is a workaround I actually
don't know it right now but let me know if you found a workaround
a second problem with a free-form gradient tool is an interface issue when
we have applied the gradient and wish to edit the node color we can double click
the node here however the window that appears gets in
the way of us seeing in the artwork and we cannot move the window at all because
it's fixed in position so we must come into the actual freeform gradient window
and then double click the stop icon every single time we want to edit a
color that is if we want to see the gradient on the artwork properly now
this is annoying and it does waste time over an entire project the third problem
with a freeform gradient is again related to text if we already have a
gradient made we can again change the text wheel compound shape and then just
sample the gradient using the eyedropper tool and the keyboard shortcut for that
is I if you try this with the freeform gradient tool however you've guessed it
illustrator simply will not comply the workaround here is to place a text over
the gradient and then perform a clipping mask function
when working with a freeform gradient tool in Adobe Illustrator I did want the
ability to hold down the alt/option key to then click and drag to duplicate a
node color but instead you can just simply select the node that you want to
and then click again anywhere else on the design an illustrator will sample
the same color that you just used so that's okay I guess but my issue here is
that the actual nodes themselves do not have much scope for customization you
can simply make them a tiny bit larger or a tiny bit smaller sure you can
change the spread of them too but I'd like to see more in the way of changing
the nodes themselves maybe not just circular but maybe elongated or
something like that let me know your thoughts down below guys another issue
with the free from gradient tool is again another workflow problem to access
the freeform gradient tool you just press G on your keyboard and then is
after you've already made the gradient itself so you can then go ahead and edit
your gradient going of your design making whatever changes that you want to
make but to view the artwork without all of the nodes on the screen you need to
press a V for the selection tool then click off the gradient and then you have
to press G again to go back to working on it now either time this does become
annoying and it does take up a lot of your time so I would simply like a
keyboard shortcut or maybe even a preview option in the gradient window
that would make things a lot easier in the workflow using this tool as
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there was my issues with the freeform gradient tool in a debut illustrator let
me know what you guys think of it and do you think my issues are justified and
you have any workarounds yourself maybe you have different issues when using the
freeform gradient tool of course like and share my content on social media and
have a great day everybody and until next time design your future today peace